Vignettes: Marcus Flint and Cedric Diggory
by Celestial Chaos
Summary: A collection of 7 short stories revolving around the pairing Marcus/Cedric. All contain slash, set between CoS and GoF. Stories range from fluff to angst, with everything in between. Originally posted on the LJ community 7spells years ago.
1. No, or not

**Author's Notes: **As I said, these stories were originally posted on the LJ community 7spells years ago. This story takes place in PoA time, where Marcus is a 7th year and Cedric is a 5th year. Each story is based off of a prompt. This particular one is "Draw a line in the sand". Cedric likes testing boundaries, and in my head can be quite the mischievous one underneath that good boy exterior. Juxtaposing him with a character like Marcus was an interesting choice I'd made ages ago with an RP friend of mine, and I liked the pairing so much I decided to write about it. Please read and review :D

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Marcus looked down at his breakfast. As much as he wanted to eat, he hadn't woken up with much of an appetite, and forcing himself to eat would make him sick. So, as he sat there and pushed the over-easy eggs around his plate, he sent glances in a variety of directions: at his friends to his right; to his left; at the professors' table…and last, but not least, the other tables in the Great Hall. He couldn't help but stare more often than not; it wasn't that he had bad banners, he just had never really been taught not to stare.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one. When Marcus' eyes moved to the Hufflepuff table, he noticed a pair of light gray eyes looking right back at him. Unbeknownst to him, this wasn't the first time it had happened. However, this was the first time that the Slytherin had taken notice of it. If he had known that it had happened more often, he probably would have been a lot more freaked out than he currently was.

He looked away when Cedric smiled at him, his attention returning to his eggs. Marcus had told him just a day or two ago that he needed to switch the Slytherin team out in the match of Gryffindor, so that was probably why the younger boy was looking at him. That was what he figured, anyways.

And that was the last he had thought of it until the end of lessons that day, when he decidedly changed his mind about going to the library and instead made his way back down toward the bottom of the school, where his common room was. He had just landed on the bottom step of the basement, about to make his way toward the next staircase down, when he heard a voice call out to him.

"Marcus!"

Given that rarely anyone called him that, at least outside of Terence and Adrian, Marcus figured it had to be Diggory. He didn't understand why Cedric didn't use last names like most of the players did, but he didn't care enough to give it too much thought. And sure enough, as he turned on his heels toward the voice, there was the Hufflepuff, making his way toward him.

"Hey," Cedric said cheerfully.

"Hi," Marcus replied. "D'you…need something?"

"Oh no," he said. "I just wanted to know if Malfoy was doing all right. I don't see him, and I figured that, since you did and everything, you'd know."

Flint shrugged. "Malfoy's fine." There was a moment of silence, in which Cedric shifted on his feet and glanced up at the Slytherin with a smile. Marcus furrowed his brow. "…There something else, or d'you think I can get back to what I was doing?"

Wait, was Diggory _blushing_?

"Listen—" Cedric began.

"—Diggory, what's going on? You're acting weird." Marcus shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm…gonna get going."

The gray-eyed boy looked down briefly, but returned his attention to Marcus almost immediately. "Marcus, wait!" He reached out, slender fingers wrapping around a thick forearm.

"Bloody hell—" Flint tried to pull his arm away, only to find that Diggory came right along with it. His dark eyes widened, and he let out a huff of breath. "What?"

"Marcus, I—" Cedric paused, during which Marcus again tried to pull away. This time, however, he succeeded. "I fancy you," he finally continued, biting his lip afterward.

The older boy's immediate reaction was to laugh. "You're kidding, right? Who put you up to this, Diggory? You really had me going there for a—"

"I'm not kidding." Cedric sounded much more serious this time. "I fancy you, Marcus."

Marcus' mouth was slightly agape. No, this wasn't happening. _Diggory_? _Him_?

"_What_?"

Diggory laughed, sounding slightly uneasy. "Do I have to say it again?"

"No." His reply was flat. "You don't. I heard you perfectly well the first time."

Now Cedric sounded firmer. "So d'you think I could get an answer about this? You know, what you think?"

"I think you're off your bloody rocker," Marcus said with a derisive snort. "I'm not stupid, Diggory. I know I'm not all that attractive—"

"—Says you," he interjected.

"Says _experience_. Besides, even if you _do _fancy me, nothing's going to happen. S'just gross."

Folding his arms over his chest, Cedric inquired, "Why're you getting so defensive?"

"Cos I'm not like that," Marcus replied. He mimicked the Seeker's position. "Simple as that."

Either he had gotten through to the Hufflepuff or he hadn't, because there was an awkward silence that surrounded them. Marcus shifted again. Why wasn't he _leaving_?

Unfortunately, his answer came quickly and unexpectedly. The shorter boy moved toward him, which caught Marcus' attention, and placed a fast, somewhat awkward kiss upon his lips.

"_Diggory_!" Marcus exclaimed angrily. He wiped at his mouth. "Fucking—what the hell?"

"Just wanted to see what it was like." He had a curious smirk upon his face. "See what I'm missing, and all."

"Well, you're not getting any more. I'm drawing the line here."

No sooner had he said that did Diggory steal another kiss. Marcus sputtered in surprise and stumbled back. He cursed rather vulgarly.

"I'm determined, if anything," he said.

Flint gulped quietly and scowled some. "You're a wanker, is what you are."

Cedric grinned, almost triumphantly. "Do tell, Marcus, why are your cheeks so red?"


	2. Empty Handed

**Author's Notes: **This particular story is set shortly after Cedric's death in GoF. It deals with Marcus' emotions and his coming to realize that Cedric is gone. The prompt was "Ribbon", and was originally summarized as "Nostalgia's a gripping thing". I like angst, can you tell? I figure there's another side to Marcus that a lot of people don't see-he can't be a prick all of the time. Please review and let me know what you think :)

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Marcus yawned and scratched his belly as he stepped into the kitchen. It was so hard to sleep in later nowadays because of the sunlight pouring into his house, so his sleep schedule had become rather jagged and unpredictable. After a brief glance at a clock on the wall, he noticed that it was just sometime after eight. Not too early, but definitely not as late as he would have liked to sleep in after hanging out with some of his friends from Falmouth the night previous.

Before he sat down at the kitchen table, Marcus poured himself a glass of milk and grabbed an apple from his fruit bowl. As he took a bite of his apple, he grabbed the latest edition of the _Daily Prophet_ that must have been dropped off sometime this morning through the open window over the sink. Had he opened that last night? _Whatever_, he thought.

Due to it having been rolled up, the newspaper was giving him a bit of difficulty in getting it to lie flat on the table. Biting hard into his apple gave him both hands to use, and so he began unrolling it.

Part of him wished that he hadn't. In big, bold letters was the sentence _**HOGWARTS CHAMPION KILLED DURING THIRD TASK**_.

_Maybe it was Potter_, he thought, his heart calming down from the jump it had just experienced. When he looked at the picture, almost desperately at that, the harsh realization that it wasn't was enough to make him somewhat sick. That wasn't Potter. No, that was definitely Cedric.

"Fucking…Merlin," Marcus said to himself, bringing a hand up to his face and rubbing it.

As much as he wanted to read the rest of the article, he didn't think that he could. It made him feel so incredibly weak and ridiculous, but he wasn't going to think about that. His boyfriend had been _killed_. It didn't say "died"—which would have hurt just the same—but rather "killed", which was an implication that someone murdered him. Why would anyone murder _Cedric Diggory_?

Marcus wasn't so much sad now as he was angry. Nobody really _deserved _to be killed, least of all Cedric. No matter how much Marcus may have joked about wanting to kill Wood or someone else, he wouldn't ever do it. Beat the crap out of them, maybe, but not _kill _them.

Standing up quickly, Flint let his chair fall to the floor behind him before he stalked his way into his bedroom. He slammed the door behind him in frustration, moving toward his bed. He wanted to sit down, but he couldn't, and instead he paced back and forth. His heart was beating quickly, and he could hear the sound of his blood pumping in his ears.

"_Damn _it," he said, his voice breaking.

He finally fell onto his bed, willing himself to take several deep breaths. Getting worked up wasn't going to solve anything. Yes, Cedric was dead. There was nothing he could do to fix that. He hadn't even gotten to say good-bye. That hurt, but he couldn't _do _anything about it. Marcus needed to get himself under control before he did something stupid.

Swallowing slowly, Marcus then sighed. He sat up on his bed and looked over at his nightstand with a furrowed brow. After he opened the drawer, he pulled out a small collection of letters that were hidden within there, and then moved to lie down on his bed. While rummaging through the letters all written with relatively neat script, he finally took one from the collection, glancing over it.

_Marcus,_

_You wouldn't believe how maddening the Second Task proved to be. I know that you wanted to be there to watch, but I understand that Quidditch takes precedence. After all, I can just recount the story to you in a letter, can't I?_

_But yes, the Second Task. So, as I told you in my last letter, I found out the secret to the egg after being harassed a bit by Myrtle in the Prefect's bathroom. Since I knew it was about the lake, like I said before, I was trying to figure out what in the world I could do in order to survive under the lake and everything. I went with a Bubblehead Charm, and it apparently worked perfectly. I saved Cho Chang and got a reasonable amount of points._

_You'll never guess, though! Potter's tied me for points after this task. Guess I've got to step up and make sure that I win the third one, don't I? I'm excited for it._

_I wish I could see you, though. I know it's only been since winter holidays, but even then, it wasn't for very long. I always feel like a fool, pouring my feelings out into a letter of all things, but since we don't get to see each other, this will have to suffice. When summer hols come, we'll have to spend more time together._

_Oh! I've a favor to ask of you. I'm making you something. Is there any way you could send me some ribbon? I'm sure you'll love it._

_Love you._

_Cedric_

He was never going to see that gift. All he had left of Cedric was a few pictures of him, these letters and memories. He couldn't hold him, couldn't kiss him, couldn't tease him…

Marcus told himself he wasn't going to cry.

But that didn't mean he listened.


	3. Bubbles

**Author's Notes**: This is a pretty humorous story with the prompt "As near as snow". You'll see how it fits in when you read the fic. In this one, set in PoA time, Cedric decides to take a swim in the Prefect's bathroom after a particularly horrible game against Ravenclaw, only to find he has company. Hilarity ensues, because after some angst, it never hurts to have a laugh. Lemme know what you all think :)

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Cedric, much to the chagrin of some individuals, had never really had to worry about his looks. He had been blessed with easily manageable hair, a pair of soft gray eyes, a good, lean form and, best of all, rather nice skin. Granted, he was pale, but it never bothered him. Even when in the sunlight for long periods of time, it never browned. In most instances, it didn't even _burn_. He was naturally lucky, and was extremely appreciative of that. He knew some people would kill to get what he had.

Having been made the male 5th year Prefect for Hufflepuff, Cedric had been granted passage into the Prefect's bathroom. As expected, he was very responsible about using it. After all, if there was one thing that Cedric tried really hard not to do, it was acting like he was better than anyone else. Unless he absolutely needed to, he shied away from it and left it to the other Prefects, Head Boy and Head Girl.

But tonight, after being flattened by Ravenclaw and being drenched in the rain and getting muddy (which had dried onto him), Diggory figured that he was entitled to using it, despite the fact that he sort of had been for the past few months. Wiping his brow, he murmured the password, and then stepped inside. Without thinking about it, he started to remove his clothing. Given that the door would have been locked if anyone had been inside, the sound of water splashing a bit caught Cedric's attention. He finished pulling off his shirt, holding it against him as he looked into the water.

"_Marcus_?"

There was a very audible curse before the pale individual swimming in the bubbles moved toward the side of the large, pool-like tub. He gripped the side, and then wiped his eyes. "Diggory? What're _you_ doing in here?"

"What're _you_ doing in here?" Cedric retorted curiously. "You're not a Prefect."

"So you think," Marcus replied.

"So I know. You're not at the meetings."

Flint blinked, and his expression changed to one of mild bemusement. "Wait, you were made into a Prefect?"

Cedric laughed. "Yes. So you're a liar."

"Whatever." Marcus rubbed his eyes again. His cheeks were bright pink, which made Cedric think that he had been in the tub for a while.

"What're you doing in here?" he finally asked.

"What's it look like, Diggory? Taking a bath."

"But you're not a _Prefect_."

Marcus' response wasn't so much defensive as it was inquisitive. "So? I've got the password, and that's all that matters."

Cedric furrowed his brow, fingers fidgeting with his shirt. "How in the world did you get it if you're not a Prefect? Did you bribe someone?"

"I've got…connections," the older boy responded vaguely, with a shrug.

Sensing that he wasn't going to get anything better than that, the Hufflepuff just shrugged as well and draped his shirt over the bench near the towels. As he began to undo his belt, he heard the sound of water moving, as well as Marcus' voice.

"Diggory, what're you doing?"

Cedric's response was almost facetious, but it came out more amused. He craned his neck and looked back at the Chaser. "Getting ready to take a bath. What's it look like?"

Marcus snorted, saying dryly, "Funny."

"I thought so."

After he finished getting undressed, the younger boy grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He didn't have a problem being naked around other people, mostly due to Quidditch, but he didn't want to just walk _around _naked. That was just indecent, really. Well, even if the tub was just a few feet away.

And even _if _Marcus was in the tub, he wasn't going to let that stop him from getting in. He himself was entitled to be in there, after all.

Cedric moved to get into the tub, letting the towel drop off and rest in a pile on the side. It was incredibly warm, but not quite hot, which was refreshing. The bubbles smelled really good, and they felt rather nice, too. Things were quiet for a bit, until Marcus' voice cut in.

"So, you here because you got flattened by Davies?"

_How incredibly tactful_, Cedric thought. He looked at Marcus and fought the urge to groan. Why did he have to bring that up? "Yes," he said simply.

The Slytherin laughed. "At least you caught the Snitch, right? And not that dumb bint, Chang?"

"Yeah, I suppose." That was true. But it upset Cedric that they had managed to get in twenty goals, while Hufflepuff had only grabbed four. Losing by ten points was a horrible feeling.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Oh, cheer up, Diggory. Don't be like Wood and drown in your sorrows just because you lost."

Oh great, now he had to bring_ that_ up. Cedric stayed silent, which prompted Marcus to scoff.

"Don't tell me you feel bad about _that _still? You beat the damn Gryffindors fair and square, Diggory. Wood's just a sore loser."

"I didn't win fair and square," the Hufflepuff retorted, leaning against the side of the tub. He looked at the other captain with a furrowed brow. "Potter and I were going right for it, and then the Dementors caused him to fall off of his broom. You tell me how that's fair."

"You grabbed the Snitch, right?" Marcus asked.

"Yes."

He grinned cheekily. "Then you won fair and square."

Cedric thought that was ridiculously dirty play, but he knew that Marcus didn't play by the same rules that the rest of the captains did. Of them all, Oliver was probably the most fair, next to Cedric himself. Davies just played however he saw fit, but he at least followed the rules. Instead of arguing with that, he slowly lowered his head under the water to wet his face and get some soap on it. When he resurfaced, he ran his hands over his face and shook his head.

Then a thought entered his head.

"…You know," he began conversationally, "I never figured you to be the sort to take a bath."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Didn't figure _you_ to be the sort to think about whether or not people take baths or showers."

Cedric's cheeks turned pinker than they were from being in the tub. "Well, er, I dunno. You just seemed like the type who doesn't waste time, you know?" That sounded good. It wasn't like he _thought_ about whether or not Marcus took a bath or a shower. He didn't care. No, he didn't.

"I'm not," Marcus replied simply.

It was after saying this that he swam leisurely toward the right side of the tub, just a ways away from the other captain, gripped it and pulled himself out. Cedric's natural inclination was to look in that direction, and when he did, he noticed the tall, pale captain's body had patches of bubbles that were slipping off of him and dripping onto the floor.

_It's rude to stare_, a voice in Cedric's head said.

At first he tried to listen. He glanced down and looked toward the bubbles, brushing his hand over the water to the side and moving them. When he heard Marcus clear his throat, however, Cedric looked over toward the older boy, only to regret it. Flint was bent over, drying his leg off, arse high in the air.

Try as he might to look away, Diggory found himself unable to do anything but stare. Flint was paler than he was…almost as white as snow.

When Marcus stood back up normally, he draped the towel over his shoulders and stretched some. This made Cedric gulp, but he kept it as quiet as he could. Why was he feeling so weird? He had been around naked people before…this was nothing. Just Marcus, his somewhat rival captain and senior by two years.

His rival captain who didn't seem to mind scratching himself openly in front of someone else.

"I'm drying off, then heading out," he said. "So you gonna be okay in here by yourself, or do I have to get the mermaid to watch you?"

Before he answered, Cedric thought curiously as to why the mermaid hadn't made mention of Marcus being in the Prefect's bathroom. He looked over at her, only to see that she was sleeping. Well, that would make sense, he guessed…

"I'll be fine," he said, letting out a laugh. "I'm surprised you care."

"Eh," Marcus replied dismissively, "I just don't want to have to get used to another captain's playing style." Surprisingly enough, he grinned. Cedric hadn't been expecting that.

Whatever the case, Marcus began getting dressed, but not before flashing Diggory with a full frontal. Cedric would have covered his face but his hands were underwater, and he didn't want to make too much sound. What if the other boy caught him staring? He would have felt so embarrassed.

But what _really_ would have embarrassed him was if Marcus had known what was going on down below the water's surface. Thank Merlin for bubbles.


	4. In the Dark

**Author's Notes:** We've moved on into the romantic comedy genre, so to speak, with this story. There are a variety of characters present since it takes place at a party for purebloods. It is an interesting place to have Cedric and Marcus interact! The prompt was "The ballroom at midnight". I don't want to give away too much, so just wait and see what happens ;) Let me know what you think!

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Cedric didn't like going to big parties. Well, at least the pureblooded ones. They were all about showing off what you had, talking about people and what they didn't have, and basically about acting in ways that he didn't really approve of. He didn't know why his parents made him go, or why they even went, themselves. It wasn't like they needed to prove anything, was it? He certainly hoped not.

"It's all about the connections you can make," Cedric's father would tell him. "Not _every_ pureblooded individual supports You-Know-Who, you know that. Those that do, well, they tend to have their own private soirées."

Whatever the case, Cedric felt mildly indignant about being forced to go. After all, it wasn't like it was made for people his age, now was it?

When Cedric and his parents arrived at the building where the party was taking place, Amos ushered his wife and son inside and then took the lead once the large doors shut behind them. Cedric could hear the classical music faintly drifting down the stairs, and for a brief moment, he wished he had his violin with him. At least with that he could have gone off and entertained himself somewhere instead of sitting at a table and feeling uncomfortable. While yes, the Hufflepuff boy was usually very amiable, he was also very quiet and shy, and didn't often speak unless spoken to, especially with people that he didn't know, as was the usual case with these parties.

He entered the large ballroom behind his father and mother, placing his hands into the pockets of his robes. As he had suspected, there were few, if any, familiar faces. He could see Roger Davies off in the distance, but as usual, he was talking to a girl and was likely preparing to ask her out on a date or something of the like. The thought made him laugh, despite the fact that he kind of wished for the familiar company. Or romantic company. Those kinds of thoughts had been bothering him for a while now, much to his chagrin. Not being one who often worried about that kind of stuff, he knew that when he did, there had to be a reason.

Maybe he was just tired of hiding it.

Cedric, along with his mother, took a seat at a small table just a ways away from the balcony. On either end of the right side of the large ballroom, the doors to the balcony were open, and a nice breeze wafted through the room. It being just before the beginning of July, the days were hot, but the nights were still thankfully somewhat cool.

Sitting there beside his mother, Diggory eavesdropped idly on a few of the conversations taking place at other tables near theirs.

"…So I heard that you got box seat tickets to the Quidditch World Cup this year..."

"…Now _really_, why would she have done _that _to her hair…"

"…It's not as if I _asked_ him to buy me the locket, but when he offered it, well…"

Nothing of interest, he thought. In fact, it was almost _too_ boring. Coming from him that had to be saying something. Then again, he was also slightly biased; not wanting to be here put him in a lower mood, and thus his usual behavior had been dampened a bit. Nonetheless, he wanted to find something of interest, and, when his mother began speaking to someone at their table, effectively cutting him out of the conversation (they were talking about their husbands), Cedric excused himself from the table and slipped outside onto the balcony under the pretense that he saw a familiar face and wanted to go say hi.

"There," he said quietly to himself once outside. That was much better. Out here, there were less people, and not only that, but the conversations were quieter, easier to ignore. He could stare over the side and take in the beauty of the cloudless, starry sky, as well as the sight of the goings on down below.

So enthralled by the sight was Cedric that he was caught off guard by the sound of a low, somewhat inquisitive voice that appeared beside him. "Awfully high up, aren't we?"

He craned his neck to the right, only to be met with the figure of Marcus Flint. Cedric's natural reaction was to be a little confused. What was he doing at a party like this?

"Spooked you or something, Diggory?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-No," Cedric replied with an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry, I just…didn't expect to see you here."

"Why? I'm as pureblooded as the next person." He sounded a little defensive.

"Oh, that's not what I was implying. I just…well, you know. Did your parents make you come?"

"'Course they did. Fuck, I wouldn't have come here willingly."

That made Cedric smile. Now he was sure he wasn't the only one. He reached over his shoulder and scratched his neck, looking up at the older boy. "Same here. I just hope the night ends soon."

Marcus didn't reply. Instead, he just leaned over and rested against his forearms against the railing with a clearly bored sigh. Cedric decided not to ask and just folded his arms over his chest, looking over the side of the railing again.

It wasn't until he felt a pair of eyes resting on him that Diggory looked back over in Marcus' direction. He raised an eyebrow, laughing despite himself. "What?"

"Wanna skip out?"

Did he want to skip out? The Hufflepuff looked somewhat bemused. Why in the world would that be a good idea? "Are you kidding?" he asked, quietly.

Marcus snorted. "'Course I'm not. I don't want to be here, you don't want to be here…we're in a big place, I'm sure we could find something to amuse ourselves with. I'd rather not waste my time listening to my dad brag about his promotion in the Ministry, or my mother whining about how we kids do nothing but cause strain on the House Elves, and how she needs another, or some stupid shite like that…it's all really stupid."

"You know, your father sounds…ridiculously similar to mine," Cedric said, blinking.

Flint looked amused. "Really? Huh. Prolly what a lot of fathers 'round here act like, I reckon…" After trailing off, he cleared his throat and pushed off of the railing. "Last chance to go somewhere, Diggory. I'm not staying unless they catch me and make me." He shrugged.

As much as Cedric didn't want to stay, he felt like he was obligated to. If there was one thing that made it hard for him to do what he wanted, it was that feeling of obligation. No matter how much he wanted to get away, he didn't want to disappoint his parents.

"I think…I should stay," he said.

Marcus didn't find that answer approvable. He reached down suddenly, gripping Cedric's wrist. The younger one's body tightened up a bit.

"What're you doing?" Diggory asked, perplexed.

"Not sure yet. But we're going somewhere."

For the first few moments, the grip on his wrist was surprisingly tight. Marcus clearly didn't want him to pull away, and once he was sure that Cedric wasn't going anywhere, he let go. The two of them slipped out the main doors of the ballroom, entering the lightly populated hallway that had a few people talking amongst themselves here and there.

"Where're we going?" Cedric asked.

Marcus, who was a few steps ahead of him, just shrugged. He looked over his shoulder. "Dunno. Heard there were some empty rooms down the hallway, and there's a kitchen around here somewhere. Better than that boring ballroom, right?"

Cedric couldn't argue with that logic. So, he just followed the larger captain, until they finally went around a corner and ended up hitting a dead end. He could barely hear the music, which meant they had to be a good distance away from the party. Considering how much they had walked, it would make sense.

"Where to now?" He couldn't help but sound somewhat facetious. After all, it was because of Marcus that they were here.

"Way to sound unappreciative," Marcus replied somewhat shortly, shooting Cedric a look. He looked from side to side before deciding on going toward the door to the right. After Diggory apologized, Marcus tried to open it, and when the doorknob turned, allowing them entrance inside, he gestured for the other boy to follow.

The room they had stumbled upon wasn't much different than the one that they had come from, save for the fact that it wasn't decorated and the lights weren't on. It must have been an extra ballroom for other galas or affairs. Cedric hadn't expected for there to be another, but given the size of the building, it would have been rather ignorant of him to assume that there wouldn't be others.

"Shit," Marcus said rather audibly. "We're almost right back where we started. I didn't want another ballroom."

"What _did_ you want, then?" Cedric asked, chuckling. Jokingly he added, "It's almost like you planned this, or something."

The way that Marcus froze up and turned around to look at him made the Seeker realize that there probably was some truth to that. The older boy looked down, folding his arms over his chest.

"Am I _that_ obvious?" he asked quietly.

Not exactly sure what to say, Cedric just pursed his lips. Marcus looked back up at him a few moments later, his pale cheeks somewhat red.

"Guess I am," he said. "Fuck. Diggory, I—" but he stopped himself, furrowing his brow.

He asked, "You what?" despite the fact that he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

Marcus heaved a sigh, avoiding eye contact with Cedric. "…I really…fancy you."

Flattered though he was, Cedric couldn't help but feel surprised, too. He had to be joking, right? The odds were entirely too much. "You do, do you?"

"Would I have said it if I didn't?" Marcus asked. He was very uncomfortable, as was obvious by his slight shifting and fidgeting in place. "Look," he said, "It's really—"

"—I fancy you, too."

"—hard to—wait, what?"

"I said, I fancy you, too." Cedric smiled.

Now it was Marcus' turn to look surprised. "You're kidding. Right? What?"

Moving toward the Slytherin, Diggory laughed. "You heard me. Now, are you going to continue to be floored, or are you going to be the aggressive and straightforward Marcus Flint that I know and have come to like?"

Marcus couldn't help but snort. "So that's how you see me, huh? I suppose I shouldn't disappoint." With that, he reached out and grabbed Cedric by the waist, pulling him close. He looked down at the brunette with a smirk. "You could have made it easier on me and just told me instead of letting me make a fool of myself."

Cedric grinned rather coyly. "Now where's the fun in doing _that_?"

Maybe tonight wasn't going to be as boring as he thought it would.


	5. Let's Keep it a Secret

**Author's Notes**: Angst! It has returned! And is set in PoA time. This story is an homage to my tried and true OTP, Marcus/Oliver. Poor Cedric doesn't know quite how to deal with it, but that's all I'll say. The prompt for this is "the white birds", which I took more metaphorically as a means of "innocence". Please read and review! :D

* * *

Cedric wondered when the best time to talk to Oliver was. Marcus had just told him not too long ago that he was going to have to pass up his match against Gryffindor, due to Malfoy's injury, and that meant that Hufflepuff was taking their spot. He knew it was his duty as captain to notify Oliver, but he never seemed to be able to catch the older boy at a good time.

But! Tonight was the night. He knew that every Friday, Wood went out to the pitch for a fly by himself. How did he know? He had told him. Sometimes Cedric himself did it, and even Marcus. He didn't know about Roger, though. Then again, he didn't know much about Roger anyways, because the Ravenclaw had always seemed more than a little weird. And…well, to put it simply, he was kind of promiscuous. Cedric didn't think that they had much in common outside of Quidditch, but he always tried his best to be polite to him. After all, he didn't _really _know him, so he had no grounds to judge him.

He continued to think on that line as he wandered out onto the pitch a little while after dinner. He had intended to speak to Oliver then, but Cedric must have come later than the other captain did, because he was nowhere to be found. This, at least, was guaranteed. Or so he hoped. Would Oliver still be there?

Rubbing his hands together, Diggory stepped onto the little walkway that led to the Gryffindor locker room. Oliver hadn't been on the pitch, so maybe he was in there. When he put his hand on the door he felt a mild shock, which made him pull back in surprise. It hadn't hurt, but it certainly had caught his attention. He shrugged that off, however, and pulled the door back, stepping inside. Having never been inside the Gryffindor locker room, he didn't quite know where to go, because the layout was different than the Hufflepuff one.

Very briefly, Cedric heard a splattering sound. The further he stepped into the locker room, the more prominent it became. It had to be the shower. Part of him wanted to just go up to the door and talk through there, but he wasn't even supposed to be in the locker room in the first place, so he didn't want to get in trouble. Instead he went over to the bench, taking a seat on it. His feet landed on top of a pile of robes, and, surprised, Cedric pulled them off and bent over to try and straighten them out.

And that's when he saw it: a very bright green and silver pin, adorned with a snake, that didn't belong in the lion's den of scarlet and gold.

Diggory swallowed a little rougher than usual. Within the robes was a tangled up shirt, a pair of pants, a tie and a pair of underwear. When he brushed these clothes aside with his hand, he found another set of robes with a pin of scarlet and gold, with the image of a lion. Yes, that had to belong to Oliver…

Try as he might to understand what was going on here, Cedric couldn't. It was one thing for Oliver to have brought a Slytherin girl into the locker room, but…to shower with her? That was something that he couldn't allow! But if he took away points, then he would probably get in trouble for being there in the first place. Despite good intentions, that didn't mean that what he was doing adhered to the rules.

Sitting up, the Hufflepuff rubbed his eyes. Shortly after, he noticed that the sound of the splattering from the shower had stopped. Oh no, he needed to get out of here before Oliver noticed he was here! He didn't want things to get complicated and messy. He moved to stand, only to hear the sound of the Scotsman's voice coming at him.

No amount of preparation could have helped him to see what it was that he was to see next.

His response was immediate. "_Marcus_?"

"_Diggory_?"

Oliver, however, said nothing. He just stood there, looking awkward in his towel. Cedric lifted a hand to cover his gaping mouth, while Marcus' brow furrowed and he ran his tongue over his teeth. Clearly, this was a situation that none of them had expected.

Cedric began stuttering. "S-Sorry, I was j-just…er. I came to t-tell you about the—"

"—The game?" Oliver said hopefully. "Yeah, I…found out that it's against Hufflepuff." He looked down, letting out an uneasy chuckle. "M-Marcus here, he told me."

The youngest boy was just about to open his mouth when Marcus began speaking. "You'd better not say a word, Diggory. You know, about this. It's nobody's business."

"I won't," Cedric said almost immediately. He looked down then, too, rubbing under his nose. Who would he tell that would believe him, anyways? He didn't want to betray their trust. Or rather, what little trust they had with him. It wasn't like they were all good friends, now was it?

"Cedric's a _Prefect_, you dolt," Wood said contemptuously, nudging Marcus in the side, who oofed. "He could get us in trouble. Be nicer, would you?"

"Don't worry about it." Looking up, the Seeker bit his lip and let out a chuckle that he hoped would put things at ease. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't say anything. I shouldn't even be here in the first place. Not my locker room, and all."

"S'not a jab at me, is it?" Marcus asked, only to get jabbed again. "Ow!" he exclaimed irritably. "Damn it, Oliver, don't do that again."

"Whatever," the Keeper said dismissively. He looked at Cedric, his eyes somewhat wider. It looked almost as if he didn't believe him, which was a worrisome thought. "So…let's keep it a secret, then, okay?"

Cedric pursed his lips, and then nodded. "Yeah, sure. Promise. So long as you don't tell anyone I was here?" he added with a small smile.

Oliver laughed at that, though Marcus simply returned his face to its normal expression. Cedric didn't fail to notice the way the water droplets seemed to cling to the taller one's pale skin, and, try as he might not to look, he couldn't help himself to a glance every now and then. He thought that talking directly to Oliver would be easier, but it was proving to be just as much trouble anyways. Determined, he looked only at the Keeper, letting out a laugh. It was fake but he managed to make it sound relatively normal.

"I should just…get going now, then," Diggory said, pointing over his shoulder at the door. After the other two agreed, he made his way toward the door and then slipped out, resting his back against it afterward. He felt so unbelievably uncomfortable, and he was surprised that it hadn't shown. After all, it wasn't every day you caught rival captains getting busy in a locker room. It seemed that the two of them weren't as innocent as he had originally thought them to be.

And yet, despite that, what bothered him the most was the fact that, not only were they homosexual, he had to find out that Marcus, who he had always _wondered_ about and _wished_ to be gay, was apparently sexually involved with the one person he envied.

Cedric wasn't the type to feel jealous. But at the moment, it was really hard for him to be happy for them.

Coveting was a nightmarish thing.


	6. Beggars can't be Choosers

**Author's Notes: **Okay yay! We're back into humor mode now. This is a LONG one shot for me, but I had a wonderful time writing it, and couldn't get past how much it made me laugh. I'd always wanted to do something with all four Quidditch captains, so this one just happened to fit the bill really well. I love Oliver, Marcus, Cedric and Roger (I'm a Quidditch fan, can you tell?) so here's something that hopefully tickles your funny bones. The prompt was "The only adventure", and it makes complete sense, at least to me. Lemme know what you all think :)

* * *

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Of course not, Higgs," Marcus replied mock seriously. "You _totally _know that I would give up a game with no doubt if a guy did that for _me_."

"I can't believe that someone did that. Why would you propose to someone _right_ before a game, let alone get involved with someone on an _opposing_ team? The bloke's bloody nuts." Terence shook his head, putting the magazine down on the table.

"Oh, but it's just so _romantic_," Marcus continued sardonically.

Adrian laughed, butting in before Terence could respond. "Don't you know, Terence? Marcus here's just a bit old softie on the inside."

All three of them shared a laugh over that, continuing on with their meal. Afterward, Marcus would have to get to the pitch so that he, Davies, Diggory and Wood could discuss the upcoming month's practice schedule. Seeing as the upcoming month there was a match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, Marcus figured he'd put in for at least two practices a week, and then see how much Wood wanted to practice before changing it. It was just the way things were.

Putting his fork down on the plate, Marcus rubbed his eyes and then moved to stand. "I've got to get going, you lot. Captains' meeting, and all that. I'll see you in the common room in about an hour, if everything goes well."

Just after Marcus stood, so did Roger Davies, and he followed his rival Chaser, a smirk made with a mixture of amusement and mischief on his face.

"…So we're in agreement, then?" Cedric said. "Roger and I will back off the pitch this month so that you two can practice for your upcoming match, so long as when the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff game comes up in November, you do the same?"

Wood nodded. "S'fine with me, so long as we switch off days."

"Marcus?" Cedric asked.

Flint shrugged. "No problem here."

"It's settled, then," Roger cut in, clapping his hands together. "Now, let's just sign this paper to close it, pin it to the wall and let's get out of here. I've got to meet a friend in just a bit."

"You'd better not be—" But Cedric stopped when Oliver shook his head. When it came to Roger Davies, a boy who never followed the rules, it was a waste of time to try and get him to do so.

After the four boys signed the agreement, Marcus pinned it to the wall and then headed out the door with little more than something that could have been construed as a goodbye wave. When the door shut behind him Roger noticed the other two were getting ready to leave, too, but he cleared his throat rather loudly, which caught their attention.

"What's up, Davies?" Oliver asked. "You forget something? S'too late to add anything."

"It's not that," Roger said, holding back from smirking. "I just…well, can you two keep a secret?"

Both opposing captains nodded.

"Well," Roger continued, as he lowered his voice and moved toward them, "either of you ever heard rumors about Flint maybe…you know, fancying blokes?"

Cedric's cheeks turned a little pink and Oliver scoffed.

"No," Oliver said. "Flint's straight as an arrow, Davies. Who's been feeding you this nonsense?"

"No one!" the Ravenclaw said defensively. "I heard it myself. Just today, at dinner. Flint basically came out and said it to Pucey and Higgs, right there. I just happened to be sitting near them with Chambers—you know, my fellow Chaser—and we heard him say it."

Running a hand through his hair, Cedric laughed just a little uneasily. "You're kidding. Flint fancies blokes?"

"_Loves_ 'em."

"I _guess _I I could see it," Oliver said finally, though he sounded unsure. "I mean, he_ does_ have a team full of nothing but blokes and he's never had a girlfriend…I just always assumed he fancied girls." He scratched the back of his neck. "Just…it sounds so _weird_."

"What's even _weirder_?" Roger began, "He said that he'd give up a game to any bloke who did it to him."

Cedric made a strange sound and Oliver choked on some of his spit. Both of them looked incredibly uncomfortable, which made Roger laugh.

"Not _that_," he clarified. "I meant like…you know, fancied him. Prolly kind of difficult to get some lovin' lovin' when you look like he does…"

"Well, that's not very nice," Diggory said, stifling a laugh. "Marcus isn't…well…"

"Oh, admit it, Diggory," Roger said, snorting. "He's rather minging."

Cedric didn't say anything against it, but he didn't quite agree, either. Instead he just stayed quiet, figuring Oliver was going to say something. He, of course, didn't. So, Roger continued on.

"Whatever the case, I've got a bet for the two of you. And it'll be rich, promise."

"Richer than Flint giving up a game?" Oliver asked with a laugh. "Oh, do tell. I'm curious."

"Well…" Davies said. He intentionally drew it out, which made the other two boys lean in just a bit. "If one of you two can get Flint to warm up to you and lose the game to you, I'll do you the same favor." He noticed Oliver was about to interject, but he stopped him. "_And _I'll give you ten galleons."

That shut the Keeper up momentarily. "Ten galleons _and_ you'll lose the game?"

"Promise," Roger stated. He lifted up his hand and nodded firmly.

Wood nodded, too, which was as close as he was going to get to admit to doing it. And what came next surprised _both _Roger and Oliver. It was the voice of Cedric, who sounded amused. "…Why not?"

"All right. I want proof, though. Bring me something back of his that he holds dear. Or like…I dunno, a pair of his underwear."

"Ew…" Oliver and Cedric said in unison.

"I'll take that as an 'I'll do it'."

That following night at dinner, Oliver found himself paying little attention to what it was that Fred and George were talking animatedly back and forth to one another about. Rather, he was paying more attention to Marcus, who he could barely see across the way. From the looks of it, the other captain was talking to Pucey and Higgs. What else was new, really?

Now, how in the _world _was he going to get through this? He didn't fancy Flint in the slightest, and the last thing in the world he wanted to do was lie and say that…but there was so much on the line that he would get if he won, and he wasn't about to let Diggory win. What was the worst that could happen if he lost? Get punched in the face? Well, if Marcus could catch him.

Oliver furrowed his brow. He would need to _prove _ it, because Marcus wouldn't just accept it and automatically decide to lose to him. And Davies wanted proof, which was going to make it even harder. And what if it was all a lie? What if Davies hadn't even heard that, and that if he tried to do this, Marcus tried to kill him? But then, Cedric hadn't said anything, and he usually sounded the alarm when something was a lie. If he believed it…

This was going to take time, and planning, Oliver realized. Like a Quidditch match! Or… maybe he just needed to go in headstrong and throttle it.

That made him laugh. Which, of course, caught the twins' attention.

"What's so funny, Oliver?" Fred asked. George followed up with, "Yeah, come on, then."

"Nothing," he said dismissively, and waved his hand. "I was just thinking about something Flitwick did in class today. S'nothing important."

"D'you get the feeling our captain is keeping a secret from us, Fred?"

"That I do, George," Fred replied. "You think he'll tell us when he's ready?"

"Yeah, he will," Oliver interrupted. "So stop asking, will you?"

"Ooh, snappy."

Oliver shrugged that off when he noticed that Marcus was getting up. Unfortunately, Terence and Adrian got up with him. Well, it was now or never, right? He stood up, too, and began heading out of the Great Hall. When the three Slytherins were just about to make their way down the stairs, Oliver called out Marcus' name.

Needless to say, none of them were expecting it.

"Wood?" Terence asked disbelievingly. "What d'you want?"

"I wasn't talking to you," Oliver said. It wasn't a scathing remark in the slightest, but he didn't appreciate one of Flint's lackeys answering for him. "I was speaking to him."

Marcus stepped forward then. "What, Wood? Is there something warranting that attitude?"

"I'd rather talk to you in private. Captain stuff." If there was one thing that would work in getting him alone, it was that.

"Captain stuff?" he repeated. After a pause, he gestured for Adrian and Terence to head off. "I'll be there in just a few minutes, okay?"

Neither boy said anything at first, at least until they were moving down the stairs. Oliver didn't hear much of it, but from what he _could_ hear, they sounded displeased with the fact that they couldn't listen in. _Whatever_, Oliver thought.

"So, what's this captain stuff?" Marcus asked. He folded his arms over his chest. "Something happen after I left last night?"

"Not quite," Wood said with a snort. "I just…wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

How was he going to say this? Oliver was far from being sneaky or underhanded, and he wasn't much of a charmer, either. But damn, he was going to try. "…Well. What would you do if you fancied someone, and you wanted to tell them, but you were afraid to?"

"_What_?" Marcus looked absolutely baffled. "What the hell are you talking about, Wood?"

Okay, well, it looked like that hadn't gone over well. "If you fancied someone, you'd come right out and tell them, right?" He cocked his head to the side, looking up at the older boy.

"Shouldn't you be talking to one of your_ friends_ about your little…romance things?" Marcus asked him, still looking confused as ever.

That avenue hadn't been so good, either. Oliver decided that it was time to give up for now. He would recuperate and then take the throttling approach when the time was right. Given that he had a few weeks, there would be no worries.

"Never mind," Oliver said with a shake of his head. "It was just an experiment."

"An experiment? What the _fuck_ are you talking about, Wood? You're confusing me."

"Just…ignore it. Forget it happened, yeah? Go back to whatever you were doing."

Marcus eyed him suspiciously. "…Okay. I'm just gonna walk away now, Wood. You…shoo."

Once Marcus was gone, the Gryffindor cursed under his breath.

After the fiasco that had happened just a few days ago, Marcus couldn't have felt more confused…and slightly paranoid. What had that all been about with Wood? What was he trying to pull? It must have been some kind of tactic to throw him off. It had sort of worked, but Flint wasn't about to admit that.

As it was the weekend, and Marcus had a long essay he had yet to write, he figured that he would go to the library and try and get it worked out…or at least somewhat. He doubted that he would be able to get it entirely, anyways. Not the best attitude to go in with, he knew, but Marcus had never had fully supported himself scholastically; he was mediocre at best, except for maybe in Herbology, because he didn't mind getting physical.

Rubbing his eyes—he hadn't gotten much sleep last night—Marcus stepped into the library, glancing around. Because he went in early, there weren't as many students in there, and that was what he needed. Being easily distracted, the last thing he needed was to be surrounded a ton of people all having little quiet conversations while they tried to work.

He made his way to the back of the library, which he figured was the best place. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who had that in mind, because when he arrived, every table had at least one person sitting at it. This was early morning! Why were there so many people?

"Marcus, over here!"

Flint recognized that quiet tone right away. It was Diggory. He should have expected him to be here this early in the morning. He moved over to the table with the Hufflepuff, who was leaning over the table. Sitting down, he grunted quietly.

"S'busy in here."

"Yeah," Cedric said quietly. "They're mostly Ravenclaws…there's a few Hufflepuffs, though. I saw a Slytherin over in the Divination section a bit ago." When Marcus' expression didn't change, Cedric added with a small laugh, "Not that you care or anything."

"Figures it'd be the Ravenclaws…"

If there was anyone Marcus figured working with would be quiet, it was Diggory. So, he was a little surprised when the younger boy started murmuring to himself a few minutes after Flint had started his work. His immediate reaction was to open his mouth and say something rude, like he would have done to Adrian or Terence, but then he remembered who it was he was talking to. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say something like that to Cedric. It just…felt weird.

"Oi," he said quietly, but firmly. "Could you be quiet…please?" He almost forgot that word, and, despite himself, he smiled a little. "Trying to work here."

Cedric smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't realize I was talking aloud."

After that, things went quiet again for a while. Cedric worked on his homework while Marcus _tried_ to do his. Only problem was, he didn't seem to be getting as far as he would have liked. Too many people were chattering, and it wasn't like he really wanted to write, anyways…

So, he grunted in exasperation and decided to let his eyes wander about, taking in the sights. They didn't get far, however. Diggory was looking right at him.

Marcus had an uneasy look on his face.

"Sorry," the Hufflepuff murmured, chuckling afterward. "You just looked…so…you know, focused on your work. Your grunt caught my attention. What're you working on?"

"Herbology," Flint said. "I can do the practical, but I'm no good at the theory…"

"That's actually my best course!" Cedric's exclaimed in a whisper. "I know it sounds a little stereotypical, but it's true. Can I help you with anything?"

"…You can do N.E.W.T. level Herbology?" Marcus asked, somewhat confused.

"Can't be much harder than what I'm doing for O.W.L.s. Can I see?" Cedric, though he had been sitting across the table from the older one, scooted his chair closer to Marcus. When Flint showed him, the Hufflepuff let out a quiet, considering sound before tapping the paper. "Well, there's your problem. Your thesis isn't…well, it isn't all that well thought out."

Cedric must have been expecting some kind of angry retort, because Marcus could see his body tense up slightly. And, though he was a little irritated to hear that it was like that, he appreciated that someone hadn't just sugar coated it because they were afraid of how he was going to respond.

"Really?"

Diggory smiled some. "Yeah. See, here you mention that you're going to talk about the benefits of the use of Hellebore, but then in the next sentence you mention that it's a really rare plant. You should save that for the introduction of the second paragraph, not the first."

"Oh."

"It's really good, though!" Cedric reassured him, pointing at the essay again. Marcus' hand wasn't too far away, and so he reached over at it, gently grabbing hold of the quill within it. When his fingers brushed over Marcus' hand, the older boy felt a gentle chill travel up his arm. "See, if you just cross this out here…move it down there…" Cedric looked up at Marcus and smiled. "Should be just fine."

Marcus found himself feeling slightly uncomfortable. Diggory was awfully close to him, and his cheeks looked a little pink. Flint, not sure what to think of it, just let out an uneasy laugh, pushed his chair back and stood up. As he began to gather his things, he said, "Thanks, Diggory. I should get working on this, and I don't think I'll get it done here. Too much noise."

"Oh, it's no problem," Cedric replied with a shrug. "Just let me know if you need any more help."

"Yeah…sure. See you."

"See you."

Cedric bit his lip. It was the thirty-first of October, and he had yet to manage to get Marcus to open up to him enough to let him know he 'fancied' him. Truth be told, the more time that he spent with the other boy, the more he enjoyed his company. But, every time he tried to get even remotely close, Flint would shy away and freak out a little. It was frustrating.

But, being the determined individual he was, he wasn't going to give up. He had seen Oliver trying to get him just a couple of days previous, and, to what he knew, it hadn't gone over all that well. Cedric wasn't going to lose. That just wasn't an option.

Since it was a Hogsmeade weekend and a Sunday, Cedric was worried. He figured that Marcus had gone off to the village with his friends, so he was more than a little surprised when he saw Pucey and Higgs on the ground floor, heading to the village by themselves. Usually the three of them went together. Where was their captain?

Normally he would have thought about that more, but Cedric had to go to the bathroom. Seeing as the closest boys' bathroom was one floor up, he traveled up the stairs. When he arrived on the landing, he saw Marcus heading into the bathroom. Not too long afterward he saw Oliver going in, too. His heart jumped. No! This was his opportunity.

Cedric hurried toward the bathroom door, but didn't slip inside right away. Instead he listened to what was going on, only to hear someone get pushed into a wall. There was a grunt, and he took that as his cue. As he stepped inside, Diggory prepared himself for a possible scenario wherein he would lose, but from the looks of it, it was Marcus who had pushed Oliver against the wall.

"Goodness, Flint, you don't have to get so physical to show our love!" Wood said quickly.

Marcus looked at him with a scowl, but quickly returned his attention to Cedric. "What are you doing in here, Diggory?"

"…Going to the bathroom?" he said innocently. When Marcus gripped Oliver's robes tighter, he threw his hands up. "Okay! I'm…here to see what was happening."

"I've had it with this." Letting go roughly of Wood's robes, the oldest boy moved away and toward Cedric, placing himself in between the two of them. "What the _fuck_ is going on?" he asked angrily.

Oliver adjusted his robes. "What do you mean?"

"You two have been—have been bloody _harassing_ me all fucking _month_I! If it's not one, it's the other! I've been poked and prodded with weird questions from you!" He pointed at Oliver. "And—and _you_ have been making me feel all _kinds _I of uncomfortable when you help me with my homework!"

Cedric opened his mouth to speak, but Oliver cut him off. "Diggory's been helping you with your_ homework_? He's two years younger than—"

"_Shut_ it, Wood! I didn't ask for your input," Marcus retorted quickly. "And yes, he's been helping me with my Herbology theory."

Oliver only laughed. Cedric, however, felt and_ looked_ a little uncomfortable.

"Now, I'm going to ask again," Marcus said firmly. _"What_ is going on?"

"Nothing," Wood replied immediately.

When that didn't seem to be the answer he wanted, the Slytherin captain turned to Cedric, who twitched just a bit. "Diggory?"

Oliver must have been able to tell that Cedric wanted to say something, because he quickly exclaimed, "Don't!" and shook his head.

"Well—"

"_DIGGORY!_"

"We've got a bet going!" Cedric finally cried out.

Marcus just looked angry at first, but that gave way to confusion. "A bet?"

"Yes," Cedric said simultaneously with Oliver's forehead smacking.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Wanna elaborate?"

"Not particularly."

"Too bad. I'd prefer it."

Oliver sighed rather loudly, and when Marcus turned around and gave him a look, he made a noise and slipped over toward where Cedric was. Standing beside one another, they gave each other a look before they both began to spit the story out at the same time.

"Okay, okay, _okay_!" Marcus shouted. "Merlin."

"Well," Oliver began, "we had this bet from Davies going…and he said that you said that, should any bloke admit to fancying you, you'd throw a Quidditch game away. So, we thought we'd get in on this action and—"

"—Wait, Davies said something about bloke fancying me? What's he think, I'm some kind of fairy?"

Cedric rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the floor. "Well, he said that you fancied blokes and all."

"He said _what_?" At first Marcus sounded angry, but then, oddly enough, he laughed. "You're kidding, right? Merlin, Davies is a real idiot. I don't fancy blokes. What gave him—_Oh_…"

"What?" Oliver asked curiously.

"He must have heard me…" But Flint didn't finish that sentence, instead only shaking his head.

Wood continued talking. "So…who're you going to pick for the bet, then, Flint?"

"Are you _nutters_? You think I'm going to pick one of you two for a stupid bet? I'm not going to throw a game in for anything. You should know that by now."

"But you _have_ to! I need those damn ten galleons. Just pick me. Come on."

"_No_."

The two of them bickered back and forth for a few more seconds before Cedric, who wasn't paying much attention to it, finally let out an irritated sound and clapped his hands to get them to be quiet. "For Merlin's sake, stop bickering!"

Both Marcus and Oliver looked at Cedric with curious looks.

"What?" he asked, shrugging. "I was tired of it."

Neither boy said anything for a moment, but then Oliver went right back into it. "So who're you—"

"Not_ you_!" Marcus said bluntly. "God, Wood, you're so irritating. At least Diggory hasn't been sitting here and arguing with me about something so stupid. Maybe I should pick him."

"You're _kidding_!" the Gryffindor captain scoffed. "Diggory?"

"What's wrong with _Diggory_?" Cedric asked scathingly. It apparently caught Oliver off guard.

"…Nothing," he replied meekly. "I just…well. Er."

And that was the last thing Oliver said. Marcus moved forward, beginning to push the Keeper out of the bathroom. They didn't bicker, which was surprising, but Cedric appreciated it when it was just the two of them. Granted, it didn't sound like he was going to get a game thrown for him, but…well, at least he hadn't been annoying.

When Marcus looked back at Cedric, the Hufflepuff grinned at him.

"Don't grin like that," Marcus told him, snorting. "You're not off the hook, here."

As Marcus approached him, Diggory's grin got just the tiniest bit wider. He was a determined little wanker.

"So I win the bet, right?"

"I'm _straight_," Flint repeated flatly.

"Well, you threw_ him_ out. You haven't done that with me just yet, now have you?"

"Your point?"

"I won."


	7. Busted

**Author's Notes: **This story is quite dirty, so be prepared. NC-17 up in here, peeps. Cedric happens across Marcus and someone else when doing a check-up on his broom in the broom shed. The prompt for the story was "Above the thunder". It's weird to read a smutty fic, since I haven't done one in ages. Please lemme know what you think!

* * *

The sky was looking ridiculously dark, Cedric noticed. He really hoped that it was just clouds, and that the weather wasn't going to get any worse. Given the fact his game against Gryffindor was in just two days, the last thing he wanted was for there to be rain…or even worse, something like thunder and lightning. Having played in that kind of weather before, Cedric knew of the difficulties, especially when it came to trying to find the Snitch.

Because he had a bad feeling that that was going to be the case, Cedric had decided that he was going to run a check-up on his broom to make sure that everything was in top shape. He didn't have the best broom around, especially in comparison to Harry's Nimbus, and any slight issue with it could very well mean the match. That wasn't good at all.

Taking his broom care kit with him, Diggory traversed the grounds, eyes continuously moving up to the sky. It was cold, and he could have sworn that it was going to start raining any minute…and that it did, though it started out with just a few droplets. The further he moved away from the castle the more it began to rain, until finally, when he was just about to the broom-shed, it had become a downpour.

Half tempted to close his eyes so that he didn't get raindrops splashing in them, Cedric felt over the door to find the handle. Thankfully it didn't take him long to find it, and when he did, he pushed the door open, stepping inside the small area. Given the bad shape of the shed, it wasn't much quieter on the inside than the outside, and now there was the sound of the rain pounding against the tin roof.

It was just enough of a distraction to keep him from noticing a rather interesting goings-on not but a few feet away. After Cedric quickly whipped his head back to get rid of the excess water he then shook it and placed his care kit on the stool near the door. He was just about to make a somewhat relieved sound when he heard a rather audible moan in place of it.

Well, _that_ hadn't been him…

Furrowing his brow he looked around, wondering where in the world it had come from. The only light in the shed at the moment was coming from the lamp hanging from the ceiling, which was spotty at best. Then he heard it again, only this time, a lot louder.

He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Fuck, come on, please…nnn…"

Okay, now he was _really_ uncomfortable.

"H-Hello!" he called out, moving further into the shed. His voice must have caught someone's attention, because there was a quite audible curse, along with some stumbling. Out of the corner of his eye he caught some movement in the right hand corner, just behind where some of the old equipment was.

Soon thereafter popped out two pale individuals…both of whom he knew, and both of who he would have never expected to be in the situation they were in.

"Diggory, what're you doing here?" one of them asked.

"I could very well ask you the _same_, Marcus. And you, Terence! This is—oh Merlin, this is—" But he didn't know what to say. Neither of them even had the decency to cover themselves up from the looks of it, because he was staring at a pants-less Terence and a shirtless Marcus.

_Never mind that fact_, he chastised himself mentally.

"It's what, Diggory?" Terence asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's_ not_ supposed to _happen_! You're on school _grounds_! Not only that, but you're—for the love of—wha—? "

"Oh come on, Cedric," Marcus said, snorting. "S'not like this doesn't happen all the time. I know you're a Prefect and all, but honestly, we're just having a little fun. Tere here was feeling randy, I was too, and we decided to do something about it…"

"Besides," Terence cut in, "What are _you_ doing in here?" He pointed at Cedric accusingly. "I thought Prefects had rounds tonight."

"They _do_," Cedric began, adding dryly, "but you know, there _are_ other Prefects. And besides, what I came here to do is my business. And for the love of Helga, Terence, could you put your bloody pants on?" He looked up and rubbed his eyes.

"Why, Diggory?" Terence asked facetiously. "My cock distracting you or something? D'you want it?" Here he began to touch himself, bopping it up and down a few times before gripping it.

"N-No!" Cedric sputtered out. "You just shouldn't be naked in the damn _broom shed_."

"But it's fun!" Marcus said with a clearly defiant grin. "Besides…why do you keep looking at it if you don't want it?"

The Hufflepuff looked aghast. "I am _not _looking at it. And if I am, it's only because he's yet to put his bloody pants on."

Moving closer to the younger captain, Flint ran his tongue over his teeth and smirked. "Oh, I don't think so, Diggory. Your cheeks are pretty red, d'you know? You thinking about what we were doing and wishing about how you could be a part of it, too?"

"He's too much of a prude to join, anyways," Terence chimed in teasingly with a shrug. "Bet he's never even touched himself. Prude."

"Wanker," Cedric said, then quickly shut his mouth. It wasn't like him to curse, but he felt like he was being backed up into a corner.

And in a way, he was. Marcus was advancing on him bit by bit, to which Cedric responded by slowly stepping back. He finally reached a point where he couldn't anymore, and the taller, larger boy looked down at him with a wicked, lascivious sort of look in his eyes.

"Come on, Diggory…nobody's gonna be coming out here, not with this rain. You've got two perfectly willing partners—right, Tere?" He looked back at his friend, who nodded, still stroking himself. Returning his gaze to Cedric, Marcus reached up and ran his fingers over the Seeker's—who found himself unable to move—collarbone, and spoke again. "Don't know why you're denying yourself some good, old fashioned fun."

Cedric swallowed hard. The proximity of the other captain was causing his body to act out in the flight or fight mode, and he reflexively tensed up. He could feel the heat emanating from the other's chest, and could see the little wisps of black hair nestled in between his pecs.

"This isn't…this isn't good, old fashioned fun," he retorted. "This is misconduct on the grounds, Marcus…no matter how much you may enjoy it."

Marcus said nothing at first; instead he looked down and sighed, as if in defeat. Then he let out a chuckle. "Well, maybe I can change your mind."

Though he was completely aware of the fact that Flint was going to do something to him, Cedric found himself unable to move. When the older boy's hands came to rest on his shoulders Diggory let out a quiet sound of disagreement, only to be quieted by Marcus' lips on his own. Their kiss was awkward at best, and at first the younger one tried to stop it, but the Chaser insisted and continued to kiss him.

"That's it…" Marcus whispered, pulling away from the kiss to give the other boy a small grin, "See? Enjoy yourself…"

_This is completely and utterly wrong,_ Cedric told himself as he closed his eyes. But there was a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that was growing at an alarming rate, one that he usually kept under good control. That was, however, when there wasn't temptation in the equation. Try as he might to say he didn't, Cedric did want this, and it was becoming harder and harder to convince himself otherwise.

Before he opened his eyes, Cedric could feel Marcus' lips brushing over his chin and then across his jaw line. When the older one's warm breath washed over his ear Diggory let out a shuddering moan. Marcus nuzzled his nose against the Seeker's ear before biting down gently on the lobe.

"M-Marcus—" the younger one began to say, only to have his breath hitch in his throat.

Marcus' hand had managed to work its way under Cedric's shirt, and the warm, callused fingers were making their way up the taut, lightly tanned skin. Because no one touched him there other than himself, the younger captain's muscles tightened, and he bit his lip. Everything felt…well, rather good, and he felt what little was left of his inhibitions fade.

After a few more moments of touching, Marcus' hand slid out from under Diggory's shirt and came to rest lightly upon his hip. This gave Cedric the ability to use his hands, one of which he tentatively placed on Marcus' chest. His skin was warm, inviting, and he wanted to explore it. His touch was very slow at first, but after his fingertips brushed over the older one's hard nipple, he began to move quicker, eager to feel more. There was something arousing about not being able to see what he was touching, and that he had to rely on his fingertips to figure out what it was.

As his fingers explored Marcus' broad chest, the older boy's fingers were doing much the same, though they moved down dangerously low. Cedric, despite being aware of this fact, continued to let his fingers act on their own accord, at least until Flint cupped his groin.

"Bloody—" the Hufflepuff said in surprise, gasping. The fabric of their uniform pants wasn't very thick, and that had certainly felt like more than just a cup.

Marcus let out a soft chuckle by the younger one's flushed ear, pulling away. He kept his fingers on Cedric's crotch. "I can feel you through the fabric, here. Did you like that, Diggory?"

"Think he did!" Terence chimed in.

Both captains looked in his direction, taking in the sight of him stroking himself. Cedric couldn't help but notice—well, at least now that he was truly Ilooking/I at it—that Terence was…exceptionally well endowed. INow/I he was staring.

Higgs, once close enough, laughed. "S'not all he likes, apparently."

Cedric looked down, embarrassed.

"Oh, come on, Diggory," Marcus said, snorting. "Don't be so damn embarrassed. S'like we told you, this is all for fun." To emphasize, his fingers folded the fabric around Cedric's erect cock, and gave it a little jerk. Cedric's body jerked in response. "No strings attached, no one has to know. Just…stop thinking so damn much. You're worse than Wood."

_Oliver_! Cedric thought frantically. He did this, too? He really had no idea what to think of that. Not that he had much time to, anyways, because Marcus' fingers were stroking him through the fabric, causing his body to jerk again.

"Think we should take it easy on him, Tere, or…?"

Terence pursed his lips. "Mm…maybe stray away from the full blown fun, yeah? This being his first time, and all that."

"I'm right _here_," Cedric said, eyelids fluttering briefly before he looked from one boy to the other. Swallowing, he asked, "Don't I have a say in this?"

Marcus looked surprised. "What, you _want _to be fucked, Diggory?"

"Well, no," he disagreed, "But I'd at least like to have the option. Glad you're being considerate, but I'm sixteen years old, I'm almost of age. I can make decisions for my—myself, too. Damn it, Marcus, stop…that." Cedric writhed as he spoke, trying to keep his composure despite the fact that the Chaser was stroking him.

"Well, fine, then," Flint said. "We'll just let things go and see where they go."

And that was the last word spoken for a while. Shortly after, Marcus let go of Cedric's dick and worked on removing the rest of his clothes. He allowed Diggory to do it to him, which was an experience in itself. Cedric removed things in a very uniform manner, working on the belt first, untying the shoes and discarding them next, before finally working on removing the pants and underwear beneath.

There, in all its curved glory, was Marcus' erection, pinker than anything Cedric thought he had seen in his lifetime. He couldn't help but stare—much like he had done with Terence's—and wonder how in the world he kept that thing under control.

Cedric somewhat wished that this wasn't his first sexual experience, because it was bad enough acting like he had no idea what was going on, but it was with people he_ knew_, and…and with _people_ at that. Not a _single person_. Not like he had imagined. Whether it had been a boy or a girl, it had always just been one. This was a bit much for him.

In the few moments that he had taken to thinking, both Marcus and Terence had apparently gotten a little impatient. When he came to his senses Cedric saw the Slytherin captain removing his friend's shirt, tossing it haphazardly aside. They then moved together and shared a hungry kiss that made that feeling appear in the pit of the Hufflepuff's stomach again. He stood there awkwardly for a bit, watching them kiss, caress and all around fondle each other, before he finally moved toward them.

Pulling back from Marcus, who grinned some, Terence murmured, "About time, Diggory. Get over here." And without waiting for consent, Higgs reached out and wrapped his arm around Cedric's neck, bringing him in to a kiss.

Though his initial reaction was to freak some (he wasn't used to having someone hold him like that), Cedric managed to keep himself relatively calm and returned the kiss, albeit someone slowly at first. It took him a minute to warm up, but Terence was more than happy to oblige. His fingers gently massaged the Seeker's shoulder as his tongue slipped out every now and then to brush over the other's soft, flushed lips.

Unbeknownst to the Hufflepuff captain, Marcus had knelt down on his knees and staring rather intensely at his cock. Without any warning the older one reached out and gripped the shaft with his hands, causing Cedric to gasp, lips parting. Terence took advantage of the situation and stuck his tongue into the warm orifice, and moaned in delight. There was no time for Cedric to gather himself, because as soon as Marcus grabbed the base, he started stroking. This caused Diggory to pull away from Terence's mouth, even though he really didn't want to.

Terence laughed some and brought Cedric's head to rest on his shoulder. "Caught you off guard, didn't he?" he asked. When no response came except a moan, he continued. "Don't worry, Flint's pretty good at sucking dick. Dunno where he learned it, but…" he trailed off. Then, "While you're down there, Marcus, why don't you give me some attention, too? You were just about to before our…little interruption, here."

"Yeah, yeah, greedy fuck," Marcus said, laughing some.

He continued to stroke Cedric's cock, causing the younger one to writhe, while using his other hand to bring Terence's length to his mouth. He brought the head to his lips and parted them, taking the tip of it in and letting his tongue tickle the underside of it. Terence grunted in response and dug his nails somewhat into the youngest boy's shoulder blade, but Cedric didn't seem to notice.

"F-Fuck," he said quietly, almost in embarrassment at having cursed. He buried his face in the Slytherin's neck, taking in deep breaths. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about the way that Terence smelled that was making him want to stay right where he was. Because he didn't think it fair to just be receiving pleasure he began to brush his lips over the nape of Terence's neck. He was rewarded with a kiss on the top of the head, which, while he didn't think was loving in the slightest, still felt rather nice.

Marcus took more of Terence's cock into his mouth, stroking the base all the while. Terence had already begun to thrust in response, which caused the Chaser to gag briefly. He lifted himself off of his friend's erection and looked up at him, sputtering some. "What the fuck, Higgs? Let me get my rhythm going."

Before he could return his attention to Higgs' length, however, Marcus felt fingers wrapping around his own. They were Cedric's, and the younger one was looking down at him, imploring him to suck his cock. The feeling in the pit of his stomach had taken total control; he was acting on what felt best now, even though his better judgment told him to be patient and wait.

"Well, well," Marcus said, snorting in amusement, "looks like Diggory's getting a little impatient, hm?"

"Don't blame him," Terence said. "But I'll be nice and wait…" He looked at Cedric with a small smirk on his face. "But just this once."

Still gripping Marcus' fingers surprisingly tight, Cedric watched as the older captain moved his mouth toward his cock. His muscles tensed in anticipation, and his length twitched in excitement. Part of him wished that the other boy would just take it in his mouth immediately, but he knew that that probably wasn't going to happen. And sure enough, it didn't. Marcus opened his mouth and mimicked the moves he had done on Terence to Cedric, but received an immensely more noticeable reaction. The younger one's hips bucked and he bit down gently on Higgs' neck, letting out a long, rather pleased groan.

"Think he likes it!" Terence said, amused.

Marcus, of course, said nothing, instead choosing to continue going down on Diggory. As he did he continued to stroke the base, failing to notice the telltale signs of Cedric's muscles and body behavior that notified them of the fact that he was close to hitting his climax. Seeing as this was his first time doing anything remotely sexual, he was surprised he had made it this far.

As the Slytherin captain began sucking him, the Hufflepuff's little sounds became louder and shorter. His fingers, which were resting on the other side of Terence's color bone, dug into the pale flesh, and he lavished the blonde's neck with licks and kisses. Cedric was barely able to control himself; it took everything he had to keep himself from cursing, or worse, asking to be fucked. Instead he just continued to indulge himself in the ever-growing feeling, until it almost became too much.

"M-Merlin!" he cried out in surprise, burying his face into Terence's neck again as his hips beginning to buck.

Luckily Marcus caught the movements just in the nick of time, and he pulled himself off of Cedric's cock before the younger one hit his climax. His face still near the head, he continued to stroke, until he coaxed Diggory's orgasm right out of him. The Hufflepuff rode it out with grunts and moans of sheer ecstasy, spurting his seed out and over Marcus' face. It hit his hair, his forehead, the crook of his eye, and also landed on his upper lip, but he took it, not saying a word. Cedric came quite a bit, and at the end, it was dribbling down the right side of Marcus' face.

By the end of it Diggory was panting roughly, feeling as if he had gone high into the sky, above the loud thunder that had begun to crack amidst their little session. He felt weak, as if he had briefly left his body, and clung to Terence with what strength he had, his hot breath washing over the already heated flesh.

"Can't say I've ever done that before," Marcus said after a moment, standing up and wiping some of Cedric's come off of his face. He sounded amused. "Damn, Diggory. You know how to bust a nut."

Cedric didn't say anything. Instead he just smiled tiredly, biting his lip afterward.


End file.
